High porosity hair is a major concern of people around the world. In today’s world, people suffer from chronic illnesses that were not considered normal in the past. But now the major illness according to WHO is the lifestyle diseases, hair porosity itself is a lifestyle related issue already very common amongst women.
The condition of high porosity hair is a result of increased pollutants, hygroscopic and Hydrophobic particulate matters in the atmosphere, sedentary lifestyle, poor eating habits and stress. As a direct result, more and more people around the world are facing the issue of hair loss, frizzy hairs, rough hairs, etc.
Table of Contents
What is High Porosity Hair?
Cuticle is the outer layer or part of an organism that comes in contact with the outer surrounding or environment. It helps in exchange and absorbing of material along with functions as a protective layer of the hair skin. High porosity hair has large gaps allowing moisture to enter seamlessly, however, the hair is unable to retain the moisture that is able to penetrate the hair fiber.
Large pores make up the hair type known as high porosity hair. In other words, this type of hair can lose or gain moisture equally as easily.
In addition to being able to absorb a lot of nutrients, it is also extremely sensitive to other, less advantageous environmental factors, which can make the hair more prone to damage and brittleness.
If you have this hair type as opposed to one with low porosity, you could feel as though no matter how much leave-in and deep conditioning you apply, your strands are never receiving enough moisture. Frizzing of the hair is more likely.
What are Characteristics of High Porosity Hair?
Water and other moisturizing products are quickly absorbed into your hair but they tend to break easily. Hair of this category of porosity have a tendency to be frizzy and dry and doesn’t take much time to get air dry.
Why do we Experience High Porosity Hair?
The major causes of High porosity hair can be genetical, morphological, chemical or physiological in nature:
- Hereditary factors are one cause of High porosity hair; it can be caused by genes or by exposure to certain chemicals in the environment.
- Another factor that can cause High porosity hair is damage due to chemicals and dyes used in processing or dying the hair. Coloring, relaxing, frequent thermal styling, over-manipulation, and even the use of harsh products can affect your hair’s cuticles which alters or shifts hair porosity.
- One of the common causes of High porosity hair is the overuse of hair care products, such as shampoos containing harsh ingredients (Sulphur based shampoos), conditioners loaded with alcohol, styling gels made with harsh chemicals, heat-styling tools like curling irons, and hair dryers.
- Excessive sun exposure can cause dryness and damage to the hair and cause increased porosity in the strands. The significant damage to the cuticle layer of the hair shaft makes the hair more porous and is caused by the UV radiation of the sun.
- Other causes of high hair include nutritional deficiencies, hormonal imbalances, and stress.
Whether due to genetics or hair damage, high porosity hair allows moisture to be absorbed into the hair shaft easily, yet it isn’t able to retain moisture for long. This is because the cuticles tend to have gaps or spaces between them.
How does High Porosity Hair Effect Hair Health?
Hair is made of a protein called keratin, which is a fibrous protein that gives structure to the strands and protects them from damage. When hair is damaged or subjected to harsh treatments, the protective outer layer of the hair begins to deteriorate and eventually sheds off. This results in the formation of fine cracks on the surface of the strands that are responsible for the excessive shedding of hair.
In addition, the excess sebum secreted by the scalp leads to further accumulation of dirt, dead skin cells, and environmental pollutants on the scalp. These accumulations lead to clogged hair follicles and create an ideal environment for the growth of bacteria and fungi.
All these factors are responsible for causing inflammation of the skin and irritated scalp which can lead to hair loss and the formation of dandruff.
How can you test your Hair Porosity?
You can determine your hair porosity by simply using a glass of water:
Shampoo
and rinse your hair to remove all the product build up
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Fill a glass with water
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Once your hair is clean and dry, drop a strand of your hair in that glass of water
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Watch the strand and notice if it floats at the top or sinks to the bottom of the glass
What will this test result indicate?
High porosity hair is indicated when the strand quickly sinks to the bottom of the glass. When view under a microscope, a healthy strand of hair with low or medium porosity will look like the smooth skin on a snake’s back. However, high porosity hair looks more like a Christmas tree.
Other ways to determine High Porosity Hair
When you run down your fingers on your hair strand, if you feel it rough and bumpy it is the sign of High porosity hair because the cuticles are open.
How to prevent HIGH POROSITY HAIR?
- Trim your hair, we know it well that damaged hair cannot repair itself.
- Color treated hair are prone to split end, sulfate- and paraben-free formula help to stop those pesky split ends before they start.
- To revive and maintain porosity shift of your hair minimize use to heat and chemical treatment on hair. Follow protective styling keeping one thing in mind that protective styling is to watch out for too much tension.
- Use moisture rich products and toss out harsh, drying sulfate and start using creams, oils and butter which aid moisturization.
- Hydrating mask or moisturizing leave in conditioner, black hair requires lot of moisture and people with such color need weekly deep conditioning.
- Using silk or satin scarves and pillowcases keep in moisture that cotton is known to absorb.
- Similar to above, covering the hair with a silk or satin scarf at night, twisting, wrapping or pineapple-ing your hair can help keep curls or straightened hair intact while maintaining moisture.
Can Hair Porosity be Changed?
High and low hair porosity are considered problematic to hair health while medium porosity is indication of healthy hair and this type of porosity is considered to be ideal.
If a person has High porosity hair due to genetics, it may not be possible to change it. However, according to hair care experts, there are ways by which you make your hair healthier, more manageable, and easier to style.
- Look for ingredients like butters and oils in your shampoos and conditioners=> These components will aid in keeping your hair moisturized.
- Use leave-in conditioners and sealers=> These products help to maintain moisture in your hair.
- Apply a hair product which offers heat protection => Before using a blow dryer or other heat styling methods, apply products which are heat protective. By doing this, you can prevent heat damage to your hair.
- When shampooing and conditioning, avoid using hot water => Use lukewarm water instead of cold water when washing your hair.
CONCLUSION
If you have high porosity hair, water and oils can be easily absorbed, but your hair will have a hard time retaining that moisture.
This can lead to hair that’s dry, frizzy, and prone to tangles and breakage. However, there are certain products you can use, and strategies you can try that may improve the health of your, and make it easier to manage and care for.
If your hair continues to break or lacks moisture, talk to your stylist about ways you can improve your hair’s texture and overall hair health.
Goodhairday is used to define a good day in a persons life. Hair gives you confidence and a chance to impress other people around you.
Its what tells a lot about your personality. Good hair can be maintained by a good diet and healthy lifestyle, these plays a very important role in maintaining a balance in the body functioning and healthy living of a person.
